“Effective early childhood policy is really effective family policy,” Heckman said. He pointed out that the most effective policies work with, promote, and enhance the family. “Of particular importance are policies that support the mothers of families, and particularly the mothers of single-parent families, which is a reality and an important fact of American life.”

The forum took place on January 24 and 25. It brought together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and philanthropists in order to highlight “ideas for investing in the economic stability and educational success of children and families.” You can view a livestream of the event, and read a report on the forum here . You can find Professor Heckman’s research on ABC/Care here , and you can read more about the project here. You can also download the presentation slides here .